Vintage Solid Cast Brass Victorian-Style Desk Inkwell

At 6 cm tall and 15 cm wide, this solid cast brass Victorian-style desk inkwell, with its hinged lid, shaped handles, and ornate relief detailing across the base, has the weight and presence of a piece made to last, the quality of the casting and the richness of the relief decoration giving it a formal authority that suits the writing table of a well-appointed study.

Made in the 20th century by an unidentified maker in the Victorian style, this inkwell belongs to the tradition of decorative desk accessories that flourished in the 19th century, when the writing table was furnished with a range of objects in silver, brass, and other metals, each designed to be both functional and decorative. The inkwell, as the centrepiece of the writing table, was among the most important of these accessories, and the best examples, of which this is one, were made with a quality of casting and a richness of ornament that gave them a presence well beyond their functional purpose. The hinged lid, which opens to reveal the ink reservoir, the shaped handles, which give the piece a formal symmetry, and the ornate relief detailing across the base, which covers the surface with a pattern of considerable decorative richness, combine to produce an object that rewards close examination and brings a note of period elegance to any desk or display. The piece is in very good condition throughout.

• Maker: Unknown
• Material: Solid cast brass
• Dimensions: 6 cm (H) x 15 cm (W)
• Condition: Very Good
• Features: Hinged lid, shaped handles, ornate relief detailing to base
• Period: 20th century
• SKU: SKU-00177

A refined piece of Victorian-style decorative brassware for the collector of antique desk accessories. Pairs naturally with the Art Nouveau sunflower stamp box (SKU-00176) and the vintage triple brass doorbell (SKU-00178) in our Brass & Metalware collection.